1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for giving the digital readout of miles traveled by a moving vehicle, the total amount of fuel consumed during this interval and the semi-instantaneous fuel consumption expressed in miles per gallon.
2. Prior Art
The realization that the seemingly unlimited reserves of hydrocarbon deposits such as crude oil are in fact limited has resulted in a growing concern in conserving hydrocarbon fuels used in vehicles like trucks and automobiles. To do something about this concern requires one to:
... evaluate personal driving habits as they influence the use of fuel PA1 ... evaluate the grade of fuel used in the various types of driving situations the vehicle operator encounters PA1 ... determine accurately when vehicle tune-ups are required.
To do any or all of the above, necessitates the use of a device to indicate fuel consumption at two different times so that they can be compared.
One way of getting data for such comparisons is to provide a meter for instantaneous readings of miles per gallon (mpg) for a moving vehicle and appropriately recording them for later comparison. But, due to the changing nature of the instantaneous mpg, the needle of such a meter fluctuates widely. Consequently, it is difficult to get a meaningful reading from the meter especially on short trips where the acceleration of a vehicle constantly changes.
However, by the use of this invention a clear and steady reading of the instantaneous miles per gallon is possible. Also with the alternate embodiments disclosed, the total amount of consumed gasoline and the total distance traveled by the moving vehicle can be displayed. These allow calculation of long term average miles per gallon.
From the summary of invention, the description of the drawings, the description of the preferred embodiment and claims, other advantages of the present invention will become evident.